


You're Back! (Please, Don't Leave Again)

by ArtistiqueReader12



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Kissing, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-17 05:03:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16968192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtistiqueReader12/pseuds/ArtistiqueReader12
Summary: It’s so fucking cold that if it wasn’t because Merlin’s the one he’s waiting for, he wouldn’t have even bothered to get out of bed.





	You're Back! (Please, Don't Leave Again)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, me again. This is another of my 1am, insmonia induced creations and as such, it's been through a little bit of editing from the version on LJ. 
> 
> Hope you like it! ^^

It’s cold.

It’s so fucking cold that if it wasn’t because Merlin’s the one he’s waiting for, he wouldn’t have even bothered to get out of bed.

Everyone around him is wrapped in heavy coats and thick scarves while they wait for the train to come. Some children are running around while their mother looks on with an amused but tired look on her face. There’s also a man leaning against the wall at the far end of the station reading a newspaper.

Arthur wonders who all this people are waiting for. Is the old lady by the boards hoping to see her grandchildren? Is the woman with the red coat a PA waiting for her way to get home? Is the man with the disheveled appearance looking for his wife?

He’s just theorizing if the teenager with the big backpack is a runaway because of the nervous look on his face or simply a student that got lost, when he hears the loud sounds of an oncoming train.

Suddenly, everyone’s alert and moving towards the front. Arthur quickly checks his phone and thinks of ringing Merlin but decides against it and hangs a little far back to get a better view of the people arriving.

It’s not long before he sees a mop of unruly dark hair and gangly limbs descend onto the platform.

Merlin’s wearing a yellow parka that has a green fur collar with a woolly red scarf wrapped around his neck and his black framed glasses are precariously poised at the tip of his nose. He’s a mismatch of colors and textures and his cheeks and nose and ears are red in seconds because of the cold and Arthur’s so happy to see him that he feels an enormous grin spread across his face.

“Merlin!” He shouts before he can rein in his emotions, but he has no time to regret it when Merlin’s gaze finds him a second later. His expression transforms with an ear to ear smile as he starts running towards Arthur.

Merlin all but throws himself at him when he’s just a few steps away, dropping his bag behind them, wrapping his arms around Arthur’s shoulders and burying his face on Arthur’s neck. Arthur holds him and tucks his nose behind one of Merlin’s ears while looping his arms around Merlin’s waist.

“I missed you.” Merlin says against the skin of Arthur’s neck and putting a kiss there, leaving a wet spot that makes Arthur tremble when a breeze hits them.

Arthur hugs him a little tighter. Merlin’s been away for a month and a half because the head of the museum needed him to see to the authenticity of some relics found in Thailand, and while they had talked almost every day, the empty feeling in his chest that appeared every time he went to sleep on an empty bed never really lessened.

“Me too.” He whispers while pulling back a little after a few minutes. Merlin’s glasses are askew with his cheeks even redder than before and he looks so beautiful and maybe a little thinner and Arthur has missed him _so much_ that for a moment his vision swims, his throat constricts, and the laugh that leaves his chest sounds waterier and more unstable than he’d like to admit. He kisses the tip of Merlin’s nose to take a little of the edge off and Merlin’s hands are on his cheeks next, cleaning the tears that have betrayed him and are sliding down his cheeks.

“Prat,” Merlin says, a little wobbly and infinitely fond. “if you’re going to kiss me, at least do it right.” And leans in to give Arthur a deep kiss.

Both of their lips are a little chapped from the cold, but Arthur doesn’t care. He parts from Merlin’s mouth for half a second to wet his lips and dives back in. Merlin’s mouth is warm, slick, familiar and Arthur’s so glad to have those lips back on his that he can’t help but nip a little too hard on Merlin’s bottom lip and suck a little too long on Merlin’s tongue for what is appropriate in public, making Merlin try to press a little closer, get a little more contact.

Arthur manages to tone it down by leaving little, closed mouth kisses to Merlin’s lips, cheeks, nose, temple and by the time he’s reached Merlin’s right ear, Merlin’s giggling and trying to get his face away from Arthur’s wandering mouth.

“Stop! Stop!” Merlin says in between laughs, pushing against Arthur’s chest while Arthur’s pulling at his earlobe with his teeth. In the end, Merlin gives a firm shove and finally manages to step away from Arthur’s arms to pick up his bag.

Arthur misses his warmth for a whole five seconds before Merlin’s grabbing his arm and directing him towards the exit. “C’mon, I’m in dire need of a cup of hot chocolate while we cuddle in bed, so get moving Pendragon.” Merlin says, smiling.

Arthur makes a show of rolling his eyes at Merlin and not answering but he’s pretty sure that the smile that hasn’t left his face and the fact that he’s now got an arm around Merlin’s shoulders tell another story about his level of irritation.

As they walk back to the parking lot where heated seats await them, Arthur can’t help but feel warm and happy even as the wind picks up and snow crunches under their feet because of Merlin’s cheerful chatter and presence beside him.

Merlin glances at him then, leaning just a tiny bit more into Arthur while falling silent and if Arthur feels his chest tighten again after that, kisses Merlin a tad desperate when they get home and spends the rest of the weekend spoiling him, well… Arthur can just blame it on Merlin’s inability to take care of himself.


End file.
